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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
first to Fort Houston, laid in what supplies he could procure, & marched then across again towards the Saline- on the morning of the 16th just after day break at the Kickapoo Town-we were
attacked- our camp was an oblong square thus with the horses in the centre-the attack was made principally on the head of the square within 40 yards of the guard-but they displayed around three sides as marked & compelled us to maintain the square-for-· this reason the troops at the head had to bear the brunt of the action-The woods were very open, & the trees large, affording an admirable opportunity for their favorite tactics of fighting behind
a cover-& The morning was very misty, the commencement of a rain, which made it almost impossible for our men to see them; General Rusk with a view to draw them out, as he was then entirely ignorant of their force, advanced about 20 paces & shouted- "You damned cowardly . . . . . . . . . , come out & show yourselves like men.'' They made no reply except the yell & their rifles- General Rusk beleiving they had a large force yet concealed, to throw upon our left flank & were only waiting for us to charge, so as to take us while disordered, for They had shown a few mounted men on the left- In .about 15 minutes their fire began to slacken, and a charge was ordered, they were pursued for half a mile, - Their force was variously estimated at from 150 to 300- my own opinion is at least 250- It was a motley gang- Mexicans negroes, Coshattees, Cad- does, & some thought Keechies- Among the dead & the nearest man to our camp was a Cherokee named Tail- Bowles says he was a had Indian, that he never could manage him & that he was well killed- They left on the ground 11 killed, & the grass was full of trails of blood-we have since heard they lost about 30- on our side we had 11 wounded, one badly but the Surgeon thinks he will recover- nearly every man in the head of the Square had his clothes cut, it was the closest shooting, I ever saw to do so little execution- Yv e also lost about 35-horses- 'fhe Gene-ral returned here immediately to call out men enough to scour the Country effectvally- Bowles came in at.his order, & made a long & friendly talk, Says he will hold a council & propose to send some of his warriors with us- I wish very much to go to Houston but cannot while this con- tinues- General Houston held a long conversation with me a few days before he left San Augustine- respecting yourself-& requested me to communicate it- He said that officious men, & the enemies of both, had fomented angry feeling between you &c &c '&c - He was charged he said with being your enemy, it was false, but, had it been true, he was a patriot & would always bury private animosity in a regard for the public weal- That he was charged with the design
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